Thanksgiving
My To-Do List For Today…
Josh & Megan’s Wedding Reception (New Harmony, IN)
Josh and Megan at the reception in New Harmony, IN
After the wedding we headed over to New Harmony, Indiana to celebrate more at the reception. As the bridal party was getting some outside pictures taking the wedding guests made their way to the reception hall. They had a photo booth, kids coloring station, and other fun things to do as we waited for the bride, groom, and wedding party to wrap up the last few pictures. The food and cake at the reception was delicious!
Reception table sign! Neat idea!
All the adult guests got a jar of jam made by Megan (YUM) and the kids got crayons – super fun!
Mouth full of cake! They were nice and didn’t make a big mess during this exchanging of cake tradition!
Our family with the good looking groom and lovely bride at the reception. Thankful that we were able to be a part of their special day!
The kids chatting around the coloring table!
Busy kiddos coloring their pictures! Great idea having a kids coloring table at the reception!
Brina and my adorable nephew Nicko coloring!
Time for some sparkler fun to send off the happy couple!
There they go! Congratulations! Hope you have a fun and relaxing honeymoon!
Watching the rest of the sparkler burn down.
Important sparkler lesson learned via Karlie…once the sparklers are done, the wire is still very hot. After the reception clean up we headed to Walgreens for some burn ointment this picture was a couple days later after it started healing. Poor kiddo, glad it wasn’t any worse. Although she will probably be more careful the next time around sparklers!
A quick picture at the photo booth after a busy day of wedding celebrations.
You can see they are getting tired, but they were troopers through all the activities. They were a big help with cleaning up after the wedding and reception too!
The “Hendrich” banner behind the bride and groom!
Travel & Vacation: Nashville – Parthenon Park
Our family was able to spend a couple days in Nashville, Tennessee recently. We had a little bit of time to burn before heading to our next adventure so we stopped at one of the parks near our hotel. The contained a full-scale replica of the Athenian Parthenon. It was massive! The re-creation was built in 1897 for Tennessee’s Centennial Exposition. The Parthenon represents classical architecture. It was pretty neat seeing it!
Sitting near the statue with the Parthenon replica in the background!
If you look closely you can see two people on the steps of the Parthenon (that is Brina and Karlie). They look tiny!
The side of the Parthenon. Can you see us?!
Hanging out on the steps. We look so small!
This statue near the Parthenon is of John W. Thomas. John Thomas was a native of Nashville and was the President of the Nashville Chattanooga & St. Louis Railway for many years.
The outside of the Parthenon replica in Nashville, TN
Venting some energy out on the play ground for a few minutes!
Wishing You a Safe & Happy Thanksgiving
Happy Thanksgiving!
Wishing you a truly amazing and safe Thanksgiving Holiday if you will be traveling to see family and friends! I am thankful for the many wonderful blessings in my life. This year we are thrilled to spend some time with our extended family over the Thanksgiving Holiday! It is not every year we are able to get together for Thanksgiving! We also get to celebrate with my youngest brother as he marries the love of his life this Thanksgiving weekend. So many reasons to be thankful!
I love this quote because even during the difficult times we can “be kind, be thoughtful, be genuine, but most of all be thankful”. What a great reminder not just for Thanksgiving Day, but for everyday of our lives!
Intentional Living: Weekly Goals
There is so much to be thankful for in my life. These last couple of months have been challenging for me, but my family and friends have been a huge source of encouragement with their help and prayers. I continue to heal, but seem to be making progress slowly in the right direction which is great.
I was able to do more activities this week as well as celebrate another birthday. Praying that this new year is full of great fun! There are still items I was not able to complete on my ever growing list, but at least I am moving forward.
With this week being Thanksgiving it will be a little different for me. I will plan on spending more quality time with my family. It will be week of celebrating various events with my extended family, including Thanksgiving and my brother’s wedding, so I am very excited!
Last week’s goals
Family Goals
Read the book Wonder’s Promise by Joanna Campbell to read to the kidsPlan one special activity with the familyPrepare for Upcoming Fall EventsSpend time Monday – Friday helping the kids with HomeworkAttend After School ActivitiesLunch Boxes & Book Bags packed the night beforePlay a Game with the Kids– we played Sorry together on my birthday- Start Organizing the Kids Scrapbook Items – other activities took priority this week
Dr. Appointments for Kids
Personal Goals
Drink 8 glasses of water each dayContinue my YouVersion plan(s)Go to my Doctor Appointments Scheduled this week
Home (Yard & Pets) Management Goals
- All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one day – took me 2 days, but getting it done!
Weekly Dinner Menu planned out for the week- Do at least one “Make 1 & Freeze 1″ Meal Prep (make a main dish to eat that day and one to freeze for later) – we had appointments / activities during the days AND every night after school this week so I was not able to get it done this week
- Clean House (Focus – Bathrooms) – got started….
- Organize Chaos (Focus – Storage Room) – going to have to put this one on hold for a week
- Yard Cleanup (Focus – Pool taken down and put away) – it was a rainy weekend and needed my hubby’s help on this one
Pet Care (Focus – Refill Dog & Goat Food Bin)
Business Goals
Work on ideas for upcoming blog posts- Respond to Inquiry – Business Relation Emails – got some progress made, but need to do more soon
- Keep up with the day to day items that need my attention – it was a wild week with extra activities that took priority
- Work completed for clients – got a good bit done, but need to put in some more time
Ministry Goals
- Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch – didn’t have a free breakfast / lunch this week
- Prep for our Samaritan’s Purse Operation Christmas Child boxes – gathering items
Financial Goals
- Payoff the Car – working on it
- Payoff Outstanding Debt – (replacement microwave, refrigerator, hot water heater, and other debt) – working on it
Pay Bills & File Paperwork- Earn some Creative Cash – working on it
Go grocery shopping one time to one store this week and stay within budget
My goals for the upcoming week
Family Goals
- Read the book Wonder’s First Race by Joanna Campbell to read to the kids (The kids have been really enjoying this series. It was Brina’s turn to pick out the book and she choose this one for me to read to them!)
- Plan one special activity with the family
- Prepare for Upcoming Fall Events
- Spend time Monday – Tuesday helping the kids with Homework
- Attend After School Activities
- Lunch Boxes & Book Bags packed the night before
- Play a Game with the Kids
- Watch a movie with the Kids
- Listen to an Audiobook with the Kids
- Thanksgiving Holiday – So Many Reasons to be Thankful
- Celebrating Josh & Megan’s Wedding & Activities
Personal Goals
- Drink 8 glasses of water each day
- Continue my YouVersion plan(s)
- Go to my Doctor Appointments Scheduled this week
Home (Yard & Pets) Management Goals
- All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one day
- Clean House (Basic Speed Clean before the Holiday Activities)
Business Goals
- Work on ideas for upcoming blog posts
Ministry Goals
- Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch
Financial Goals
- Payoff the Car
- Payoff Outstanding Debt – (replacement microwave, refrigerator, hot water heater, and other debt)
- Pay Bills & File Paperwork
I think it is important to share and encourage each other as we seek to improve our lives and the lives of those around us. I want to live intentionally not just hope all my dreams and goals come true. When I focus on small steps of improvement I am able to see results as I get closer to my goals. Some weeks I get closer to the goals I have in my life and other weeks a take a few steps back (life happens, emergencies occur, people get sick). Once the goals are written down and shared it provides a guideline for what I aim to accomplish this week.
Why Share My Goals?
- To keep me accountable
- To share a piece of my life with you as I strive to be a better Child of God, Wife, Mom, Friend, Homemaker, Entrepreneur and the many other roles I have each week
- To have my goals consistently written down so I can gauge progress more accurately
- Create healthy habits in my life
- To encourage you to share your goals with me as you continue to grown and learn
How did you do this week on your goals? Feel free to share or link to your list of weekly goals.
The picture above is one that I created for my own purposes, however, The “SMART” acronym was originally coined 30 years ago by Peter Drucker in his classic work, Management by Results.
Free Ebooks: Elegant Thanksgiving Recipes, Always Know What To Say, Tongue Twisters for Kids, 76 Free Things to Do with Kids, Salads To Go, and more!
The price to download these books is currently $0.00 (although the price may change at any time, please confirm prior to downloading). The ebooks are specifically for Kindles, however, you can click here and download the free application that allows you to read Kindle ebooks on your PC.
Download a free copy of Elegant Thanksgiving Recipes: Upscale Your Traditions by Natalie Oliver
Download a free copy of Always Know What To Say – Easy Ways To Approach And Talk To Anyone by Peter W. Murphy
Download a free copy of Tongue Twisters for Kids by Riley Weber
Download a free copy of 76 Free Things to Do with Kids: A Real Mom’s Guide by Shannon Brown
Download a free copy of Salads To Go by Arnel Ricafranca
Download a free copy of 101 Amazing Facts by Jack Goldstein
Download a free copy of Rikki-Tikki-Tavi by Rudyard Kipling
Download a free copy of Potty Training In 3 Days: Proven Potty Training Guide To Stress Free Results In 3 Days or Even Faster by Jenny Stone
Download a free copy of Christmas Crock Pot Recipes: 20 Christmas Crock Pot Recipes to Free Up Your Oven and Stove! by Hannie P. Scott
Download a free copy of Easy Appetizer Recipes by Instructables Authors
Thankful for My Family and so Much More!
Thankful for sweet girls who made me a “special” breakfast.
There is magic at our house! Every night I lay out all the non-perishable items (cups, plates, bread, english muffins, or bagels, etc…) that I need to make breakfast the next morning, however, this week by the time I get to the kitchen breakfast has been made for the whole family and the kids are already eating! It’s like breakfast has magically appeared every morning (and there’s no mess either)! This morning I must have been extra good because I got more than the normal Tuesday Toast! Thankful for my sweet girls! I saved the sweets that they gave me for breakfast for later so I could share them!
Thankful for kids who love making crafts and expressing their appreciation
Karlie’s turkey from school. She had the most turkey feathers out of all the students in her class, her reason “I have so much to be THANKFUL for in my life!” Not sure if you can read the feathers they say – friends, social studies, love, food, life to live, teacher, pets & animals, family
Thankful for hot chocolate
Made hot chocolate and apple cider for my two chickies since it was a cold and rainy afternoon. They enjoyed their hot treat after school.
Thankful for a husband who plays games with the family
We figured out that Jake has the steadiest hand in our family. Karlie is watching him carefully so she’ll be ready for her next turn.
Thankful for kids who enjoy playing games
We played Kerplunk and Jenga tonight. After a few close calls we did manage to get quite a tall Jenga tower before it came crashing down. Here’s a picture of Brina focusing on her turn. Thankful for some fun with the family tonight!
There is so much to be thankful for today and really every day of my life!
November 30-30-30 Challenge: Saying Thanks 30 Ways to 30 People for 30 Days (Days 29 & 30)
As I was reflecting back on the many amazing blessings in my life I realized that don’t let those around me know how much I truly appreciate them enough. The idea of participating in a “thankfulness” challenge for the month of November was started a few months ago when I purchased cards for my family to send out for the Thanksgiving Holiday (see the picture of the front of the card below).
It is my wish to show my gratitude to the people I interact with day to day. For the month of November I am planning a 30-30-30 Challenge. It is my goal to say thanks in 30 ways to 30 people for 30 days. Each day I plan to do at least one activity expressing my thanks to one person every day for thirty days.
How is it the LAST DAY of this activity already?! It is hard to believe we just finished our last day of our November 30-30-30 Challenge: Saying Thanks 30 Ways to 30 People for 30 Days because it went by so quickly. Doing this project these last few weeks have been a great blessing and wonderful experience for the whole family. It was awesome seeing how doing the activity made us think more about being grateful and expressing our thanks to people around us.
Many of the people were family, friends, neighbors, as well as people we interact with regularly while some we had met for the first time (store clerks). The purpose of this activity was to focus on being thankful and to be a blessing to the people around us. It was an activity that had a positive impact on our lives. There were several times I walked away from a task feeling more blessed, it’s amazing how making the choice to positive and grateful to others can uplifts your spirits too.
I have so much to be thankful for not only during this Holiday season but throughout the entire year. May I continue to express thanks to those I encounter throughout my week. Several of the days we actually did several thankfulness activities (a few we listed, but most we did not). After the first week we had thanked over 30 people already (we have a big family) so it was neat seeing how many people we could touch with words and gifts of thanks throughout the month. I hope that this activity will continue to be on our minds for a very long time as we interact with people from day to day.
Day 30
Who: Strangers
The girls and I had to make a couple quick errands after school, including a stop at a store. We had the opportunity to help an elderly lady put some items into her cart. She was in a hurry, but was having a hard time getting the items she needed at the store. It was neat seeing the girls take initiative and help others from opening the doors, helping people get stuff from the shelf, and stepping aside so those in a hurry can pass. We even let the person behind us go ahead of us in the line. Sometimes taking a few minutes to show appreciation and kindness can make a big difference in the lives of others.
Day 29
Who: Bank Teller
Today we didn’t have a lot of extra places we needed to be but we did make a stop at the bank. The girls wanted to deposit the money they had earned over the past month into their savings account. Usually I try to go through the drive-thru at the bank because it is much quicker, but the girls like to bring in their money and watch the teller count it out. Plus, I needed to put items back in our safety deposit and make a deposit as well. Today we smiled, sincerely thanked our bank teller for helping us, and ask her about her day. Sometimes we get so busy with our lives and are in a hurrying to get to the next place we barely smile or talk with people that we encounter regularly. Taking the time to smile, be pleasant, and ask about someone else’s day doesn’t take any extra time but can be a great encouragement for them.
Day 28
Who: Jazz Instructor
A few months ago I got a Living Social deal for the girls to take Jazz lessons. We were within a couple miles of the studio several times a week already so we decided to try it out. They LOVED jazz and look forward to it every week. It is great exercise and has taught them some neat skills. In the spirit of the Holidays (Thanksgiving) the girls wrote their instructor a note of thanks and I picked up some sweet treats for them to give to her. She makes it a lot of fun and both of our girls really enjoy going to her class!
November 30-30-30 Challenge: Saying Thanks 30 Ways to 30 People for 30 Days (Day 28)
As I was reflecting back on the many amazing blessings in my life I realized that don’t let those around me know how much I truly appreciate them enough. The idea of participating in a “thankfulness” challenge for the month of November was started a few months ago when I purchased cards for my family to send out for the Thanksgiving Holiday (see the picture of the front of the card below).
It is my wish to show my gratitude to the people I interact with day to day. For the month of November I am planning a 30-30-30 Challenge. It is my goal to say thanks in 30 ways to 30 people for 30 days. Each day I plan to do at least one activity expressing my thanks to one person every day for thirty days.
Day 28
Who: Jazz Instructor
A few months ago I got a Living Social deal for the girls to take Jazz lessons. We were within a couple miles of the studio several times a week already so we decided to try it out. They LOVED jazz and look forward to it every week. It is great exercise and has taught them some neat skills. In the spirit of the Holidays (Thanksgiving) the girls wrote their instructor a note of thanks and I picked up some sweet treats for them to give to her. She makes it a lot of fun and both of our girls really enjoy going to her class!
Day 27
Who: Clients
I am thankful for so many things in my life. One of the fun activities I get to do throughout the month is work for various clients on projects. Some of the people I do work for on a regular basis while others are more on a project by project basis at various times throughout the year. While I do get compensated for the work I do, there is a lot more to it, I really enjoy the people that I have had the privilege to work alongside. It has been neat getting know them and their families better while helping them tackle business projects. I am thankful for my clients and their willingness to let me be an active part of their lives and businesses. Today, I wrote a “I’m Thankful for you….” note as well as delivered a special treat for the ones I help regularly.
Day 26
Who: Waitress
Our family doesn’t go out to eat very often (we typically eat meals at home or take a lunch to work / school) so it is a real treat when we can go out or meet a friend for lunch. I had the opportunity to meet a friend for lunch today, it was wonderful having a chance to catch up for a little bit. One of the jobs I had in High School and College was waitresses. I loved doing it because it was great exercise, I got to meet a lot of neat people, and it helped pay the bills, but it was lower paying and at times exhausting. After working at a couple different places over the years I have learned to appreciate those in the restaurant industry. As a way of showing my appreciation and thanks to the person serving us today I gave a generous tip at the restaurant, hopefully it will be a blessing to the person waiting on us.
November 30-30-30 Challenge: Saying Thanks 30 Ways to 30 People for 30 Days (Day 27)
As I was reflecting back on the many amazing blessings in my life I realized that don’t let those around me know how much I truly appreciate them enough. The idea of participating in a “thankfulness” challenge for the month of November was started a few months ago when I purchased cards for my family to send out for the Thanksgiving Holiday (see the picture of the front of the card below).
It is my wish to show my gratitude to the people I interact with day to day. For the month of November I am planning a 30-30-30 Challenge. It is my goal to say thanks in 30 ways to 30 people for 30 days. Each day I plan to do at least one activity expressing my thanks to one person every day for thirty days.
Day 27
Who: Clients
I am thankful for so many things in my life. One of the fun activities I get to do throughout the month is work for various clients on projects. Some of the people are work for I do work for on a regular basis while others are more on a project by project basis at various times throughout the year. While I do get compensated for the work I do, there is a lot more to it, I really enjoy the people that I have had the privilege to work alongside. It has been neat getting know them and their families better while helping them tackle business projects. I am thankful for my clients and their willingness to let me be an active part of their lives and businesses. Today, I wrote a “I’m Thankful for you….” note as well as delivered a special treat for the ones I help regularly.
Day 26
Who: Waitress
Our family doesn’t go out to eat very often (we typically eat meals at home or take a lunch to work / school) so it is a real treat when we can go out or meet a friend for lunch. I had the opportunity to meet a friend for lunch today, it was wonderful having a chance to catch up for a little bit. One of the jobs I had in High School and College was waitresses. I loved doing it because it was great exercise, I got to meet a lot of neat people, and it helped pay the bills, but it was lower paying and at times exhausting. After working at a couple different places over the years I have learned to appreciate those in the restaurant industry. As a way of showing my appreciation and thanks to the person serving us today I gave a generous tip at the restaurant, hopefully it will be a blessing to the person waiting on us.
Day 25
Who: Ministry Team Leaders
There are some people within the church and community who spend a lot of their time and energy helping others. They are involved in several ministries and their dedication to the body as well as outreach shines. I am part of a ministry at church called Alms & Legs, we do multiple activities within our church and community from providing a food pantry for people in need, clothing, helping with bills, repairs, free GED tutoring, Operation Christmas Child, Heart of Christmas, Shoes for kids in need, and many more activities. The person who leads this group has a real passion for others and it shows. I feel like it is important to say thanks to those in ministry leadership positions because they volunteer to do the work and often go above and beyond in their service to others. Today I wrote a note of thanks to the person (and her family) who leads this great ministry. She does a lot to make this ministry a success so we can make a positive impact on the lives of many within our body and community.
